A slip ring assembly including a plurality conducting disks spaced-apart and stacked mounted along a common rotation axis, each being electrically connectable and fixedly securable to a generator mounted in a rotatable nacelle of a wind turbine so that a rotation of the rotatable nacelle triggers a rotation of the conducting discs; and a plurality of slip ring devices, each being electrically connectable and mechanically securable to a fixed electrical distribution conductor mounted to a fixed pole so as to have a fixed position relative to the fixed pole, and each of the plurality of the slip ring devices having upper and conducting fingers arranged so as to rotatably receive a respective conducting disk therebetween and to provide an electrical connection between the conducting disks and the slip ring device during rotation of the nacelle.

A slip ring assembly including a plurality conducting disks spaced-apart and stacked mounted along a common rotation axis, each being electrically connectable and fixedly securable to a generator mounted in a rotatable nacelle of a wind turbine so that a rotation of the rotatable nacelle triggers a rotation of the conducting discs; and a plurality of slip ring devices, each being electrically connectable and mechanically securable to a fixed electrical distribution conductor mounted to a fixed pole so as to have a fixed position relative to the fixed pole, and each of the plurality of the slip ring devices having upper and conducting fingers arranged so as to rotatably receive a respective conducting disk therebetween and to provide an electrical connection between the conducting disks and the slip ring device during rotation of the nacelle.

Provided is a brush arrangement of a wind turbine lightning protection system, realized to provide a current path from a hub to a canopy of the wind turbine, which brush arrangement includes a brush holder arranged to hold a brush in electrical contact with a contact surface at the exterior of the canopy, which contact surface is electrically connected to the hub; a bracket arranged to electrically connect the brush with a mounting plate; characterized by an access opening in the front wall of the canopy, which access opening is dimensioned to accommodate the bracket and brush holder; and a mounting arrangement for securing the mounting plate to the canopy front wall over the access opening, from within the canopy interior. A wind turbine including a lightning protection system with at least one such brush arrangement is also provided.

A grounding ring, including a substantially circular-ring-shaped hub and at least two sliding contacts, which are arranged on the outside of the hub in the radial direction, extend in the circumferential direction and, in the manufactured state of the grounding ring, are arranged adjacent to one another at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction and delimit a circumferential gap with their sides facing one another in the circumferential direction, and wherein the circumferential gap is substantially bridged during the intended use of the grounding ring by the mutually facing and mutually non-overlapping sides.

A DC motor is provided that can suppress a commutator from wearing. A DC motor including a commutator formed of copper or a copper alloy of 99% or more copper, and a brush pressed against and in contact with the commutator, wherein the brush is composed of a sintered compact including graphite and copper powder, hard compound particles higher in hardness than any of the copper or the copper alloy and the graphite or the copper powder are contained in at least one of the commutator and the brush and are scattered on or near a contact surface of the commutator with the brush at least during use.

A discharge device for discharging electric currents from a rotor part of a machine, in particular a rotor part with a shaft, into a stator part, the discharge device having a contact element, a support and a spring mechanism, the support being connectable to a stator part in an electrically conductive manner, the contact element being predominantly made of carbon, the contact element being accommodated on the support in an axially movable manner and connected to it in an electrically conductive manner, a contact force applicable to the contact element by the spring mechanism so as to establish an electrically conductive sliding contact between a sliding contact surface of the contact element to establish the sliding contact, and an axial shaft contact surface of the shaft, wherein the contact element is disk-shaped, the sliding contact surface being at least annular and disposable coaxially relative to the shaft contact surface.

A discharge device for discharging electric currents from a rotor part of a machine, in particular a rotor part with a shaft, into a stator part, the discharge device having a contact element, a support and a spring mechanism, the support being connectable to a stator part in an electrically conductive manner, the contact element being predominantly made of carbon, the contact element being accommodated on the support in an axially movable manner and connected to it in an electrically conductive manner, a contact force applicable to the contact element by the spring mechanism so as to establish an electrically conductive sliding contact between a sliding contact surface of the contact element to establish the sliding contact, and an axial shaft contact surface of the shaft, wherein the contact element is disk-shaped, the sliding contact surface being at least annular and disposable coaxially relative to the shaft contact surface.

A discharging device for discharging electrical interference, in particular currents, from a rotor part of a machine, said rotor part in particular being a shaft, into a stator part (17) of the machine, the discharging device having a contact device (11) comprising a contact element (13) which is accommodated in an axially displaceable manner in a guide and which is acted on by a contact force device (15) for generating a shaft contact force (F.sub.W) in order to establish electrical contact between a shaft contact surface (19) of the contact element (13) and a rotor contact surface (20) of the shaft (18), wherein the guide has a stator contact surface (25) for forming an electrical connection with the stator part (17) and the discharging device has a guide contact force device (21) for generating a guide contact force (F.sub.F) between a guide contact surface (24) of the contact element (13) and the stator contact surface (25) electrically connected to the stator part (17).

A discharging device for discharging electrical interference, in particular currents, from a rotor part of a machine, said rotor part in particular being a shaft, into a stator part (17) of the machine, the discharging device having a contact device (11) comprising a contact element (13) which is accommodated in an axially displaceable manner in a guide and which is acted on by a contact force device (15) for generating a shaft contact force (F.sub.W) in order to establish electrical contact between a shaft contact surface (19) of the contact element (13) and a rotor contact surface (20) of the shaft (18), wherein the guide has a stator contact surface (25) for forming an electrical connection with the stator part (17) and the discharging device has a guide contact force device (21) for generating a guide contact force (F.sub.F) between a guide contact surface (24) of the contact element (13) and the stator contact surface (25) electrically connected to the stator part (17).

In order to effect a seal a porous material which comprises one side of two opposing surfaces is used to restrict and evenly distribute externally pressurized gas, liquid, steam, etc. between the two surfaces, exerting a force which is opposite the forces from pressure differences or springs trying to close the two faces together and so may create a non-contact seal that is more stable and reliable than hydrodynamic seals currently in use. A non-contact bearing is also disclosed having opposing surfaces with relative motion and one surface issuing higher than ambient pressure through a porous restriction, wherein the porous restriction is part of a monolithic porous body, or a porous layer, attached to lands containing a labyrinth, the porous restriction and lands configured to not distort more than 10% of a gap created from differential pressure between each side of the porous restriction.